With some extra pancake batter this morning, I decided to whip up something savory. Inspired by a savory truffle macaroon I had at the Ferry Building in San Francisco yesterday, I thought the batter might well duel some of my leftover spices from Thanksgiving dinner.
This recipe is quite simple and yields a breadstick-like appetizer. I’m calling it a North Beach Cable Car because of the track treads found on the snack. I incorporated a panini press to provide a conduit for a strip of sauce in the middle, which is not only functional– it allows for a unique presentation, too.
To a multigrain pancake batter from Trader Joe’s (about 1/6c remaining) I added a few shakes of Mexican-style chili powder, 30ish flakes of Thyme, and a splash of ground cumin. You can include sea salt and ground peppercorns in the batter or put it on top for presentation. Mix this up and scrape it out in strips onto the hot griddle surface. Let it sit until the batter starts to form several tiny bubbles along the surface and then close the Panini press. While you do this, put a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette (I used Trader Joe’s brand of BV) into a small sauce container and microwave for 12 seconds to heat it up. After the BV is microwaved, wait another 20 seconds and open up the panini maker. Apply a thin strip of the BV to the crevace in your cable car and let it sit on the Panini maker while you heat up some leftover pasta sauce. We had Classico Tomato & Basil… Apply 3-4 dabs of pasta sauce onto the strips and add dried oregano leaves for presentation if you desire.
These cable cars are quite tasty and will give you an easy option to please guests who prefer a savory finish after a sweet breakfast.
